Eight out of the 28 members on the White House's National Infrastructure Advisory Council, which advises the US Homeland Security Department on cyber-security and the protection of infrastructure.and responsible for overseeing the response to emerging cyber threats, resigned last week.
The letter that advisers submitted to the White House cited several reasons for leaving, including President Donald Trump's controversial response to the riots in Charlottesville that were sparked by white supremacists; Trump's decision to withdraw from the landmark Paris climate deal; and his "insufficient attention" to possible cyber threats posed to American infrastructure, including its election systems.
Trump's actions, the letter said, "have threatened the security of the homeland I took an oath to protect." It added that the administration's actions "undermine" the "moral infrastructure of our Nation" which "is the foundation on which our physical infrastructure is built."
The resignations come after Mr. Trump disbanded two business advisory councils following a flurry of resignations from chief executives over his response to the neo-Nazi rally in Virginia.
“Though Trump has at times spoken about addressing "the cyber," he has been reluctant to address perhaps the most pressing cybersecurity threat the US currently faces: Russia.”
By Sonam Sheth
